SWINE PLAGUE . 63 



plague than after hog cholera. In any case several months 

 should elapse before the yards or pens are reoccupied. If the 

 disease appears, the well animals should be promptly separated 

 from the sick and placed in suitable pens or yards — protected 

 against subsequent infections, and given an abundance of 

 wholesome food and water. It is well to remove the sick 

 animals to other pens. The thorough disinfection of the in- 

 fected pens should be insisted upon before they are again 

 occupied. 



§ 52. Specific treatment. For a number of years in- 

 vestigations have almost constantly been under way in the 

 United States Bureau of Animal Industry, for tiie purpose of 

 finding some method by which this disease could be success- 

 fully and specifically treated when introduced into a herd. 

 Drugs and medicines have been tried, preventive inoculations 

 and injections of toxins have been made. The serum therapy 

 which has afforded relief in certain other diseases has been and 

 is now being tested with somewhat favorable results, yet we do 

 not see that a specific therapeutic agent has been demonstrated. 

 In view of this fact, it becomes necessary to apply with renewed 

 zeal our present knowledge of the nature of the malady and 

 endeavor to prevent its occurrence or reappearance by keeping 

 the animals under the best possible conditions. Prevention of 

 the disease seems to be the best remedy. 



§ 53. Swine plague in rabbits. In 1894, Smith and 

 Moore described the appearance of the effect of swine-plague 

 bacteria in rabbits and also the effect of resistance on the part 

 of the rabbit on the form of the resulting lesions. As this 

 disease is caused by a bacterium belonging to the septicaemia 

 hemorrhagica group, it seems desirable that the results above 

 referred to should be restated. The appended paragraphs are 

 taken from the report of these investigations. 



" Among the forms of disease observed after the sub- 

 cutaneous inoculation of rabbits with swine-plague bacteria 

 from different sources (epizootics) are the following : 



1. SepticEemia. 



2. Peritonitis. 



3. Pleuritis (usually with pericarditis). 



